Saily Ultra Review (2026): Is the Global eSIM Subscription Worth It?
Saily Ultra Standard, Plus and Premium: ROAMTESTED discount, three trip budgets and when data, VPN and lounge benefits justify the subscription.
Published 2026-11-07 Updated 2026-11-08
Saily Ultra is worth considering when you need multi-country data and would otherwise pay for its bundled services. For a short, data-only China trip, I’d usually buy a regular package. For a month needing 20–25GB and a new monthly VPN subscription, Ultra Plus is a closer comparison. Premium makes sense if you also want its US number and included calling/texting allowance.
The useful question is how much of the bundle you’ll actually use. A lounge you can’t access, a VPN you already own and a fast-track pass you wouldn’t buy add zero avoided cost.
This review uses Saily’s published plan terms, its available benefits, and transparent trip-budget examples. Airport access, phone-number features and service availability depend on the selected plan’s conditions.
I may earn a commission through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. How RoamTested makes money.
Use ROAMTESTED for 10% off an eligible Ultra purchase — see the confirmed code and monthly examples.
For the prepaid country packages, read my regular Saily China eSIM review. This page evaluates Ultra’s recurring Global subscription.
Quick verdict: which option would I buy?
| Your situation | My choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Seven days in China, about 5GB, no paid airport benefits needed | A regular China package | Lower upfront cost, with no need to maintain an Ultra subscription |
| A covered multi-country trip needing up to 10GB plus a new VPN | Compare Ultra Standard with regular data + VPN | The result depends on the exact regional price and any valid data discount |
| One covered billing-month trip needing 20–25GB, plus a new monthly VPN | Ultra Plus is worth comparing | More high-speed data than Standard; the examples below show both listed-price and code-adjusted costs |
| The same trip, with a confirmed included lounge visit you’d otherwise buy | Ultra becomes more attractive | Count only the visit that fits your tier, airport, terminal and schedule |
| You also need a US number with 50 minutes and 50 texts each month | Compare Ultra Premium | It adds communication benefits, while high-speed data stays at 30GB |
| You already own a VPN and get free lounge access | Start with regular country/regional data | Most bundle benefits don’t replace any new spending |
Open Saily, select Ultra, then confirm the tier and billing period.
Open Saily — select Ultra and compare tiers ↗
Saily Ultra pricing: Standard vs Plus vs Premium
Saily Ultra offers three monthly subscription tiers with different high-speed data allowances and benefits. These are recurring Global subscriptions, not one-off China eSIM packages.
Which Saily plan fits your trip?
Choose your trip length and typical data use. We compare plans by total price.
Estimated data need: 16.8GB(including 20% buffer)
Covers your trip length and estimated data needs.
New customers: $53.99 with ROAMTESTED (10% off).
Check plansThe recommendation compares one paid monthly cycle based on high-speed data only; Ultra starts on purchase and can renew automatically. Airport, VPN and phone benefits are not priced into this selection. A longer trip or a different billing cycle may cost more. Confirm subscription and code eligibility at checkout.Optional discount for eligible customers; confirm at checkout.
Saily Ultra promo code: ROAMTESTED
RoamTested confirmed that the code works with Ultra on 7 November 2026. The monthly examples below apply its 10% discount where the code is accepted for your order.
The table separates published USD monthly prices from the 10% code calculation for an eligible payment. Final tax treatment, eligibility and the amount charged are shown at checkout.
| Tier | Monthly list price | With ROAMTESTED | High-speed allowance | After that allowance | Included phone benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $39.99 | $35.99 | 10GB | No unlimited allowance in the main product FAQ | No bundled Premium phone allowance |
| Plus | $59.99 | $53.99 | 30GB per data cycle | Unlimited data at up to 1Mbps | No bundled Premium phone allowance |
| Premium | $69.99 | $62.99 | 30GB per data cycle | Unlimited data at up to 1Mbps | US number, 50 minutes and 50 SMS per month; identity verification required |
At list price, Standard to Plus costs $20.00 more per month for another 20GB of high-speed data and the reduced-speed continuation.
At list price, Plus to Premium costs $10.00 more per month. You don’t get more high-speed data. Decide whether the number and communication allowance justify that increment for you. With the 10% code calculation, those upgrade differences become $18.00 and $9.00, respectively.
Quarterly and annual options have lower advertised monthly equivalents, but require the selected period’s payment. The calculations here use one monthly payment, so they don’t treat an annual headline rate as a one-month purchase.
Ultra vs regular Saily eSIM plans
Regular country, regional and Global data packages are separate products. A regional package can already cover several stops on one eSIM; you don’t need Ultra just to avoid installing a new profile at every border.
| Buying question | Regular country/regional packages | Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | One-off package, with optional auto top-up | Subscription that renews automatically |
| Start | Destination connection, subject to the package’s activation deadline | Subscription starts on purchase |
| Coverage | The selected country or region | Advertised Global coverage in 121 destinations |
| Data | The selected fixed or day-based allowance | Standard 10GB; Plus/Premium 30GB high-speed then reduced-speed use |
| VPN | Separate purchase if you need one | NordVPN is among the included security tools |
| Number | Optional US-number service and communication plans | Premium has a bundled US-number allowance |
| Airport benefits | Separately purchased or obtained elsewhere | Confirm the benefits included in the chosen tier and the airport rules |
For a short mainland-only stay, use my Saily China plan review to choose the actual GB or day package. For China with Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan, see my regional eSIM comparison.
What does a month of travel actually cost?
The three examples retain listed-price baselines in USD, followed by clearly labeled code-adjusted results, and enough data for the stated need. They compare Saily options, rather than claiming to find the cheapest eSIM from every seller.
Each assumes the whole itinerary fits one paid Ultra cycle and every stop is covered by the chosen products. Buying early or crossing into another paid period changes the bill.
A new standalone NordVPN Basic monthly subscription is $14.99 when checked. I use that monthly purchase where a traveler genuinely needs it. If you already have suitable VPN access, use zero instead. A discounted multi-year headline is a different upfront commitment.
Scenario 1: seven days in China, 5GB needed
| Purchase | Total before discounts |
|---|---|
| Regular China 5GB / 30 days | $15.99 |
| The same data + a new monthly NordVPN Basic subscription | $30.98 |
| Ultra Standard, one monthly payment | $39.99 |
I’d buy regular China data. Even if you buy the standalone VPN, Standard costs $9.01 more in this example. Without a new VPN purchase, the extra cost is $24.00.
If your requirement rises to 10GB, the regular China package is $26.99. Adding the monthly VPN makes $41.98, slightly above Standard.
With the code accepted on both purchases: the regular China 5GB package becomes $14.39, or $29.38 with the VPN. Ultra Standard becomes $35.99, so the regular 5GB/VPN basket is still $6.61 less.
For 10GB, the regular China package becomes $24.29, or $39.28 with the VPN. Discounted Standard is $3.29 less than that basket. I’d compare Standard more closely for this higher-data case. The regular-plan code and new-customer eligibility were checked on 5 November; Ultra applicability was confirmed on 7 November.
Scenario 2: 30 days across covered Asian stops, 20–25GB needed
The regular Asia and Oceania 25GB / 60-day package costs $48.99. Compare it with Ultra Plus at $59.99, which has 30GB of high-speed data per cycle.
| What you already have or need | Regular data basket, list price | Ultra Plus, list price | Result before codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| You already own a suitable VPN | $48.99 | $59.99 | Regular data is $11.00 less |
| You would buy one month of NordVPN Basic | $63.98 | $59.99 | Plus is $3.99 less before data discounts |
I’d lean toward Plus only in the second row, if the included services suit you and the itinerary fits one cycle. With an existing VPN, I’d start with the regional package.
Ultra code result: an eligible Plus payment becomes $53.99. Against the regional package’s listed price, Plus is $9.99 less when you need a new monthly VPN; with an existing VPN, regional data is $5.00 less. The regional package remains at list price here because its coupon acceptance hasn’t been verified for this comparison; any discount there would reduce Plus’s saving.
The products have different headroom: the regular option supplies 25GB over 60 days, while Plus supplies 30GB for its cycle and then slower data. These examples meet a stated 20–25GB need; they don’t make those allowances identical. If the regular package’s extra validity is useful for another trip, include that in your decision.
Scenario 3: the same month, plus one usable lounge visit
Suppose you have several flights, need the same 20–25GB and a new monthly VPN, and would otherwise buy one qualifying lounge visit.
Saily publishes a $40.00 single-pass reference. This is a planning reference from its official lounge article, not a live quote for a particular airport. Use it only if the same visit is available at that price and is included in your selected Ultra offer.
| Monthly basket | Cost before codes |
|---|---|
| Regular Asia/Oceania 25GB + monthly NordVPN Basic + one reference-price lounge visit | $103.98 |
| Ultra Plus, if the chosen offer includes that qualifying visit | $59.99 |
| Conditional difference | $43.99 in favor of Plus |
If you already have the VPN, the conditional difference falls to $29.00. If your credit card already gives you free access to that lounge, set the visit’s avoided cost to zero and return to Scenario 2.
With the Ultra code: eligible Plus is $53.99, making the conditional difference $49.99 against the same listed-price basket, or $35.00 if you already own the VPN. These figures retain the regional package’s list price, so an accepted regional discount would reduce the difference.
Until that visit is confirmed as included and usable, give it a value of zero and use Scenario 2’s totals.
Several flights don’t mean several free lounge entries. Saily advertises a monthly airport allowance of one lounge pass and one fast-track pass; confirm the chosen tier’s actual entitlement. Additional visits and companions need their own eligibility or budget.
Open Saily — check your Ultra offer and included benefits ↗
How much value should you assign to the airport perks?
The airport terms say certain tiers may include airport services. Check the actual offer before assigning a pass to Standard, Plus or Premium. The general marketing list alone doesn’t confirm every tier’s exact entitlement.
| Benefit | Value I’d count in a one-month decision |
|---|---|
| A lounge visit included in your tier, available for your terminal/time, which you’d otherwise pay for | The actual comparable price you would pay |
| A pass you won’t use, can’t access or already receive free | Zero |
| Fast track | Only your avoided purchase cost for a confirmed included, suitable slot; zero in my example totals |
| Delayed-flight lounge benefit | Zero in advance; a delay isn’t a planned saving |
| Guest or family access | No assumed free guest benefit |
| Unused passes | No immediate cash saving |
Check the airport, terminal, opening hours and access conditions for the flight you will take. Capacity restrictions can affect entry. Fast-track service has a booked date and time slot; arrange it in advance, with Saily recommending at least 24 hours.
The published allowance differs by payment period: one lounge/fast-track pass monthly, three of each quarterly and eight of each yearly. Eight annual passes aren’t twelve. Saily describes limited rollover while the subscription stays active; don’t value unused access as cash you can withdraw.
I haven’t confirmed access for a particular reader’s airport or used these passes myself. That is why the airport example above is conditional.
VPN, other security tools and credits
Ultra lists NordVPN, NordPass, NordLocker and Incogni. My budgets count only a fresh monthly VPN purchase where it would actually be needed; they assign zero additional value to the other tools.
If you would otherwise buy one of those tools, add its genuinely avoided cost, after checking the included license. If you already pay for it, don’t assume a second subscription saves the same amount again.
An included NordVPN subscription doesn’t establish a working connection in mainland China. See my NordVPN China review for the official setup guidance and testing status.
Saily credits aren’t an instant discount. Ultra advertises 8% back on eligible purchases as Saily credits for future spending. I haven’t multiplied the Ultra subscription by 92%, assumed a cash refund or deducted speculative credits from any total.
For standalone VPN pricing, compare NordVPN’s current plans; choose the payment period that matches the budget you’re evaluating.
Does Ultra work with WhatsApp, Google Maps and ChatGPT in China?
Saily’s Google guide describes Google Maps access through international routing, but its China FAQ and WhatsApp guide differ on whether WhatsApp requires a VPN. The published Ultra information does not explicitly guarantee ChatGPT access in mainland China. The bundled data and NordVPN subscription don’t by themselves establish app access or reliable local navigation.
If these services are your main reason for buying, read the app-by-app official evidence in my Saily China eSIM review, then confirm the selected Ultra product’s conditions. The ordinary China package and Ultra aren’t the same product.
Is Premium’s US number worth upgrading?
Premium’s monthly list price is $10.00 above Plus, with the same 30GB high-speed allowance. With the code applied to both eligible monthly payments, the difference is $9.00.
It includes a US number, 50 call minutes and 50 SMS per month, subject to identity verification and communication-service rules. This is a reason to compare Premium if you’d otherwise buy those services, rather than pay separately for a number and allowances.
It isn’t a Chinese +86 number. Verification acceptance and calling destinations remain important: don’t buy Premium solely to guarantee a particular Chinese app’s code or international call. My China phone-number guide explains the separate issues.
I’d choose Plus if I didn’t need the number. I’d consider Premium when the bundled number and allowance replace at least the extra monthly cost in services I would otherwise buy, or provide enough practical value to justify it. I haven’t established a universal standalone price for an identical number/minutes/SMS basket.
Data limits, hotspot and coverage
Plus and Premium’s 30GB allowance is shared across the covered trip, not a fresh 30GB in every country. After that, speeds are up to 1Mbps. That continuation can be useful for basic tasks, but I’d budget high-speed data for large uploads and video calls.
Hotspot use consumes the same allowance. Saily’s fair-use terms restrict excessive tethering and using the service as a fixed-broadband replacement. I wouldn’t choose it as an unlimited high-speed work hotspot.
Ultra advertises 121 destinations. Confirm every planned stop on the selected offer, including stopovers. Ordinary Saily coverage, an airport perk at a destination and Ultra mobile-data coverage are separate things to check.
When does Ultra start, renew and end?
Ultra starts when you purchase it. The regular China package’s 180-day activation window doesn’t apply to this subscription.
- Match purchase timing to your first needed day and check the data-cycle dates in the app.
- The selected monthly, quarterly or annual subscription renews automatically.
- Saily asks you to turn off renewal at least two days before the next payment.
- Canceling renewal doesn’t itself refund the payment already made.
- Subscription refunds have separate 14-day and usage/benefit conditions in the terms; don’t assume the regular data package’s refund rules apply.
A seven-day trip still requires the applicable full subscription payment. For a trip spanning two paid periods, recalculate using both payments.
Who should buy Ultra — and who should skip it?
Consider it if you have a covered multi-country itinerary, can use the data allowance within the paid period, and would otherwise purchase the VPN or genuinely usable travel benefits.
Choose Standard when 10GB is sufficient and its actual bundle beats your relevant alternatives. Choose Plus when 30GB and the reduced-speed continuation matter. Choose Premium when its US number and communication allowance justify the added cost.
I’d stay with regular packages for light one-country trips, trips where the longer prepaid validity is useful, or when existing VPN and airport benefits leave little new value in the bundle.
FAQ
Is Saily Ultra really unlimited?
Plus and Premium include 30GB of high-speed data per cycle, followed by unlimited data at up to 1Mbps. The current main product FAQ gives Standard 10GB without that unlimited allowance. Don’t treat the three tiers as identical.
Does every Ultra tier include a phone number?
The main product page specifically includes the US number and monthly 50 minutes/50 SMS with Premium. Standard and Plus shouldn’t be bought expecting that same included allowance.
Can I use my regular Saily discount code for Ultra?
Yes. RoamTested confirmed that ROAMTESTED works with Ultra on 7 November 2026. This page shows 10% calculations for eligible monthly payments alongside list prices. Check the offer accepted for your order; don’t assume the discount applies to every billing period or automatic renewal. My regular Saily review separately covers ordinary China-plan eligibility.
Is Ultra better than Saily’s ordinary Global package?
It depends on how often you travel and what you use. Ultra is a recurring bundle; ordinary Global data can have a longer fixed validity. Compare the package meeting your actual route, GB and timing, then add only services you’d otherwise pay for.
How should I evaluate Ultra’s airport and phone-number benefits?
Check the benefit entitlement for your specific Ultra tier, airport, terminal and travel date before valuing a lounge or fast-track pass. For the US number, confirm the included allowance and any verification restrictions. The budget examples above use published terms, not assumed airport savings.
My conclusion
For a short data-only China trip, I’d choose a regular Saily package. For a covered month needing 20–25GB and a fresh monthly VPN, I’d compare Ultra Plus closely, including the confirmed code. One confirmed lounge visit that replaces an actual purchase can make the bundle substantially better value.
Premium is a communication upgrade, not a higher data allowance. Buy it when the US number and included calls/texts matter to you.
Open Saily, select Ultra, enter ROAMTESTED and check the accepted discount, total payment, data cycle, destinations and the tier’s airport entitlements before choosing.